Westfield: Alex And Ani's 'Charmed By Charity' Event Tomorrow, July 15

Posted by christopher reardon

Fine jewelry store Alex and Ani of Westfield will hold a "Charmed by Charity" event Tuesday, July 15, to benefit suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline CONTACT We Care. The store will donate 15 percent of all proceeds from sales made between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Purchases made by phone or online also will quality for the 15 percent donation to CONTACT.

Alex and Ani is located at 200 West Broad Street in Westfield. Light bites and energy punch will be served. July 15 also is Jazz Night in town and jazz bands will be playing at several locations throughout the downtown.

CONTACT We Care is a suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline as well as a suicide prevention and Mental Health First Aid trainer located in Westfield. Volunteer listeners and texters trained in empathetic listening answer more than 17,000 calls and texts from people in crisis or with suicidal thoughts.

Donations from the Alex and Ani event will help keep listeners and texters on the lines for those calls. A donation of just $15 to the hotline pays for one call.

“Every 13.7 minutes someone in the United States dies by suicide, including 4,600 young people, and for every one suicide there are 25 attempts,” said Joanne Oppelt, CONTACT executive director. “In addition, one in four people will experience some form of mental health issue during the course of a year, including depression. It is vital that people in crisis have someplace to call where they can find an empathetic ear to help them see they have options.

“Suicide, emotional crises and mental health issues touch so many people, including our loved ones, friends and neighbors. This is a community issue, including here in Westfield, and we are so appreciative to have the support of a community merchant such as Alex and Ani to help in our efforts.”

Alex and Ani operates Charity by Design, a division of the company focused solely on giving and supporting charitable organizations. Charity by Design empowers nonprofits both on a national and local scale to reach their goals by sharing their mission through the power of positive energy and creative design. By allowing consumers to enter the charitable world through their purchases, Alex and Ani believes a new generation of philanthropists will emerge.

CONTACT We Care serves Central and Northern New Jersey and is a primary responder to calls to the national suicide prevention line (1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE) that originate in New Jersey. Callers also reach CONTACT by dialing 908-232-2880 or texting “CWC” to 839863.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer listener or texter at CONTACT We Care should contact Sue Fasano, director of programs at the hotline, at 908.301.1899 or sue.fasano@contactwecare.org.

About CONTACT We Care

CONTACT We Care, headquartered in Westfield and with a listening hub in Morristown, is Central and Northern New Jersey’s crisis listening line, receiving more than 17,000 calls per year.  CONTACT brings comfort and hope to people in emotional distress through active, empathetic and nonjudgmental listening.  All calls are free, anonymous and confidential.  If you are in crisis and need someone to listen, call our hotline at 908-232-2880.  We are affiliated with CONTACT USA, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the American Association of Suicidology. For general information about CONTACT We Care or to become a volunteer, call us at 908-301-1899 or visit our website atwww.contactwecare.org.